CHARITY

​www.celebratestjames.org

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In 2017, Celebrate St. James - Past - Present - Future was founded by Natalie Weinstein, Arline Goldstein & Jack Ader.  The mission is to preserve and celebrate St. James' rich history and 
​inspire an appreciation of knowledge of the arts in our community. Please join us in this community revitalization.  Visit the www.celebratestjames.org, attend events, donate or volunteer.

The hamlet of St. James was named for the Episcopal Church of St. James founded there in the mid 1800's.  A US Postal service was later established  with the same name.  The arrival of the Long Island Railroad in 1873 allowed for easy access to and from New York City.  This made St. James a popluar vacation spot fo the stars of New York stage and screen.  In the days before air conditioning, the theaters closed for the summer and the actors went on vacation.  Summer residents included Irving Berlin, Lionel, Ethel & John Barrymore, George M. Cohan, William Collier, buster Keaton, Myrna Loy, Ruth Roman, Lillian Russell, and others.

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2016  Giving & Living on Long Island
​Read the story about how Natalie Weinstein Design helped honor those who give so much to this charity and our 2016 Food Drive.
Click here​

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Proud supporter of Contractors for Kids

Kevin Harney, Natalie Weinstein & Alan Nahmias

Natalie Weinstein & Staff with Paul Anthony, WALK Radio 97.5 FM

We continue to raise funds for Contractors For Kids at our many free learning seminars throughout the year.  A big Thank You to all of you who have contributed and continue to contribute to this worthy cause.

Don't Miss These  Annual Events & More

Annual CFMA Dinner
Woodbury Country Club, Woodbury NY
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Annual Gala  -  Dinner Dance
Atlantis Aquarium, Riverhead

5K Walk/Run - 
East Setauket

Family Fun Picnic
Southaven Park, Yaphank 

www.contractorsforkids.org

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​Contractors for Kids 2017
RISING STAR AWARD

A Helping Hand
February 2010

"​In the more than a decade of hosting weekly radio shows, I have laughed a lot, questioned incessantly, but was only once reduced to tears."

It happened when Kevin Harney, partner in Stalco Construction, a premier commercial general contracting construction management firm, based in Islandia, NY spent a heart-wrenching and heartwarming hour with me some months ago.

Kevin and his partner, Alan Nahmias, are visionaries whose success in tough times is based on thinking outside the box and treating their staff like family (or as family should treat family). Kevin revealed to my listeners that in 2004 he heard about a family whose child was dying of cancer. The family had used up all their resources, were in danger of losing their home and in fact, didn’t have enough money to bury their child. Kevin’s response was to reach deep into his own pockets and pay the families’ bills until they could get on their feet, allowing them to grieve and try to put the pieces of their lives back together. While the circumstances were tragic, Kevin experienced an epiphany. He approached his partner and friend, Alan, and with his help, “Contractors for Kids” was born.

Still in its infancy, Contractors for Kids has become somewhat of a phenomenon.  Growing by leaps and bounds, guided by a caring and committed board of volunteers, this organization has made a difference in the lives of families whose children are afflicted with life threatening diseases. These families are suffering in so many ways. If the phone bill or mortgage payment isn’t paid, in addition to hospital and medical bills, families fall apart and never recover. That’s where Contractors for Kids has literally saved lives. It’s not just the money they raise to help pay these bills, but it’s the support and caring that is most needed and appreciated.

In preparing this article, I scheduled a phone conversation with Kevin.  Interviewing him is like going through an emotional ringer. It took all of five minutes to reduce me to a puddle once again, while I was frantically taking notes in longhand. I didn’t realize until I started to piece them together for this article why I was so affected. I have met wonderful people who work for many deserving causes. That’s one of the reasons I truly love Long Island. In good times and bad, people manage to give. But Kevin’s story is unique. It almost seems as if there is a greater force than his guiding his life.

It all started at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital where he sat with his own 62 year-old father who was dying of cancer. He looked at his dad in sorrow and his father looked back, “You think this is tragic?  That’s tragic,” he said, pointing to a beautiful six year-old child across the way.

Kevin’s response was to reach deep into his own pockets and pay the families’ bills until they could get on their feet, allowing them to grieve and try to put the pieces of their lives back together.

Years later, a story on News 12 about a mom fighting her insurance company caught Kevin’s eye. The insurance company wouldn’t pay for an $89,000 experimental operation for her son. The child suffered from severe brain tremors and needed the surgery to be done at John Hopkins in Maryland. Kevin and Alan had just signed a large contract.  They decided to share their good fortune anonymously with Bradley and his family by paying for the operation.  Miraculously, the child survived and thrived. Soon after, Kevin heard about another child and family who needed help, and another. It was almost as if these children were a sign prompting Kevin to take further action. He and Alan reached out to ten of their closest friends, including their accountant and attorney, and anyone else who had “something to bring to the table” to give their services, time and money.

Fundraising began and their first planned event at the Riverhead Aquarium hoped to raise $30,000 by bringing 100 people together. Instead, a turnout of 500 raised $250,000!  Every year since, the numbers have been growing, but so has the need. Children’s hospitals and social workers, friends of families affected, and general word of mouth has increased requests for help. The organization is filled with fear that they may not be able to assist all who desperately need them. To date, over 400 families have received assistance in many ways, including help with purchasing cars to get children back and forth to treatment, mortgage payments and, sadly, funeral costs.

​Still in its infancy, Contractors For Kids has become somewhat of a phenomenon.

Remarkably, parents and grandparents who have lost a child and have been recipients of help from Contractors for Kids are now volunteers in the organization, despite how hard it must be to relive the pain. For most of us, because it is so heartbreaking, it’s not something we want to hear about, but Kevin and his team want us to. “Awareness is what we need more than money,” he states. “It could be any of us tomorrow and I believe people are good at heart. Most people will do whatever they can to the best of their ability. We just need to redefine their ability,” he continues. “It’s not about giving a lot of money. It’s about giving – time, talent, whatever you can. I’d love to raise a million dollars this year, $1 at a time. Then I’d know that a million people care.”

The Contractors for Kids Gala this January was held at Crest Hollow Country Club. I was honored and humbled to be their mistress of ceremonies. It was an evening of tears, hope and heart. It again exceeded all fundraising expectations – but even more, it was a room filled with love. When we all stood and held out our hand to our table partners, we knew the power of one and the joy of joining with many to make a difference in the lives of families and children in desperate need. Join Contractors for Kids – www.contractorsforkids.org –

See what your dollar (or more) can do!